An Overview of Medical Malpractice & Lawsuit

Medical Malpractice is a legal term associated to lawsuits alleging damage to a patient because of

various circumstances like misdiagnosis, mistreatment, or various types of negligence made by

medical professionals, including doctors. Readers should note that not all errors in medical diagnosis

and treatment are necessarily malpractice, because there are certain risks and margins for error that

arise inherently in the practice of medicine.

According to JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association, Medical malpractice has become

the third leading cause of death in the United States, after deaths from heart disease and cancer. The

chief allegation is misdiagnosis, either delayed diagnosis or mismanagement of diagnostic tests. It has

been observed in a study that the top five diseases that receive monetary awards for medical

malpractice, in terms of value, are breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer (including colon cancer

and rectal cancer), heart attack, and appendicitis.

Some of the most common medical malpractice conditions which occur as a result of negligence of

doctors or other medical professionals are Cerebral Palsy, Erbs Palsy, Birth Defect Litigation, Birth

Injury, Cancer Misdiagnosis and Nursing Home Abuse.

There are several obstacles to overcome in order to win a medical malpractice award. The first and

foremost is that the case must be started before the statute of limitations (time limit that restricts when

you can start a lawsuit) has run out. The statute of limitations varies by state (and country) and also

differs depending on the type of lawsuit or specific allegations.

Since some of the medical errors are considered \\

About the Author:
George Miller is an experienced legal writer and presently looks after content management for www.selectcounsel.com